BREAKING: IRS drafting plans to fire half of its 90,000-person workforce.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Were these "call wait times" shortened during the Biden years? Did you get your refund faster? Were your tax returns frequently "mislaid" before 2021? Were you "charged more tax" on a regular basis prior to 2021?

Under Biden staff rose from around 80,000 to 90,000, maga is talking of reducing it back to a pre-1960 level of 45,000. How can that be done without an impact analysis?

 

[marvin martian]

Under Biden staff rose from around 80,000 to 90,000, maga is talking of reducing it back to a pre-1960 level of 45,000.

You didn't answer any of my questions.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

You didn't answer any of my questions.

Because you skipped over mine which I asked first and which was:

What will be the visible, tangible impact of these cuts? Until we know those how can we possibly decide if such a reduction is good or bad for us?

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Please anyone here, can you point me to the impact analysis that goes with this proposed 50% reduction proposal for IRS staffing levels? Obviously the 50% reduction wasn't just plucked out of thin air, it was meticulously calculated based on some goals and expectations of service levels, I'd like to see that please.

 

[Polishprince]

The left: 45,000 people = "no one"

You people are stupid beyond words.

What is also not being mentioned here, is that a lot of the 45,000 people being fired have nothing to do with administration of tax. People in the office that denies conservatives tax exempt status don't process taxes but are part of IRS. Not to mention legions of people now used to write and enforce DEI policies.

 

[Doc7505]

Hey, if they know there's no one checking my taxes, darn straight they're going to cheat.

~~~~~~
Fool!, It's all done by computer today.

 

[Scoutster]

The number of positions under Biden rose from 80,000 to 90,000 so that means to get back to that level we should only be losing 10,000 positions, yes?

No, I’m all for the proposed cuts. 45,000 is more than enough. Time for these career government employees to get a real fucking job.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

~~~~~~
I wonder if Trump will pot all that surplus ammo IRS bought on the market, now that IRS has no use for it?

.

Weren't we just speculating about sending those new armed agents down to the border?


.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, I’m all for the proposed cuts. 45,000 is more than enough. Time for these career government employees to get a real fucking job.

Attaboy, lets add "federal workers" to the already long list of maga demons, gotta find someone new to hate every month.

 

[struth]

So there'll be no increase in call wait times when I call the IRS about a refund? I'll get my refund in around the same time I always have? There's no risk of my tax return being mislaid and me getting accused of not filing? There's no prospect of mistakes being made where I get charged more tax than I should? there's no prospect of fraudsters getting away and not paying their tax?

No, clearly you haven't paid taxes in a while. The IRS was telling people NOT to call in even before Xiden's massive spending bill and increase. They give you a tracking number to follow on line and have for YEARS now.

There is no difference then what was happening today v before Xiden's massive increase...none...all his increase did was hire agents to go after working class Americans...not process your return.

 

[JoeB131]

What are you talking about? Of course people are paying taxes on tips. For waiters, the majority of tips are put on credit cards. Those tips are taxed.



We will still gave plenty of people to double-check. Like I said, the government is wildly and grossly inefficient. That includes the IRS.

Real world.. most tips are paid in cash and never get reported.

We didn't have enough people before Biden hired some new agents.

If the IRS collected all taxes that are actually owed, they could generate another 600 billion in revenues.

But hating on the IRS is going for the low-hanging fruit.

 

[toobfreak]

BREAKING: IRS drafting plans to fire half of its 90,000-person workforce.​

I understand there are legions of empty federal office buildings now that Trump is putting up for sale.

 

[Doc7505]

I understand there are legions of empty federal office buildings now that Trump is putting up for sale.

I heard that Trump will be renting out all that empty office space.

 

[struth]

Real world.. most tips are paid in cash and never get reported.

We didn't have enough people before Biden hired some new agents.

If the IRS collected all taxes that are actually owed, they could generate another 600 billion in revenues.

But hating on the IRS is going for the low-hanging fruit.

I remember when the demafasict said they need tens of thousands of new agents to go after billionaires, glad you admitted the truth, it was to squueze working class Americans

 

[SweetTea]

Real world.. most tips are paid in cash and never get reported.

I would be willing to bet that waiters or restaurant/coffee shop workers account for the largest amount of tip money in the US. Most tips are paid via credit card. You may give your taxi driver a few dollars in cash, but that is minuscule in comparison. Uber and Lyft are paid via credit care or other electronic methods. You are wrong.

We didn't have enough people before Biden hired some new agents.

If we didn’t have enough, either the ones that were working weren’t efficient or our tax code is far too complicated. One of both of those problems need to be fixed.

If the IRS collected all taxes that are actually owed, they could generate another 600 billion in revenues.

Big number that you guys pull out of thin air. Even if so, I prefer to cut federal spending to increase revenue as opposed to taking it from the American people via heavy taxes.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

Real world.. most tips are paid in cash and never get reported.

We didn't have enough people before Biden hired some new agents.

If the IRS collected all taxes that are actually owed, they could generate another 600 billion in revenues.

But hating on the IRS is going for the low-hanging fruit.

.


I tip in cash but you need to prove a statement like MOST tips are paid in cash.



.

 

[WorldWatcher]

Were these "call wait times" shortened during the Biden years?

Yes.

Did you get your refund faster?

Yes

Were your tax returns frequently "mislaid" before 2021?

Can't say, my return was never "mislaid", but it did take longer years ago to get returns.

Were you "charged more tax" on a regular basis prior to 2021?

As a percentage of income, taxes have remained relatively flat. As income increased taxes increased, but as a percentage - ya relatively flat.

Didn't even see much (if any real tax savings from the Trump Tax cut). With the expansion of the Standard Deduction it no long made sense to itemize. But in my state by taking the standard deduction on Federal, you cannot itemize on state. So Fed taxes went down a little bit, and state taxes went up a little but so it was pretty much a wash.

WW

 

[JoeB131]

I remember when the demafasict said they need tens of thousands of new agents to go after billionaires, glad you admitted the truth, it was to squueze working class Americans

Everyone should pay their fair share in taxes, guy.

I meticulously record all the revenues I make from my two businesses and my straight job and then I pay an accountant to make sure I got it all right.

I can't get worked up because someone who cheats on their taxes gets caught.

I would be willing to bet that waiters or restaurant/coffee shop workers account for the largest amount of tip money in the US. Most tips are paid via credit card. You may give your taxi driver a few dollars in cash, but that is minuscule in comparison. Uber and Lyft are paid via credit care or other electronic methods. You are wrong.

Well, you'd be wrong again, Cleetus.

Employer's burden: reporting tax on tip income.

archives.cpajournal.com

• The IRS is scrutinizing tip income more closely since it estimates that 84% of all tip income totalling approximately $500 million goes unreported annually.

If we didn’t have enough, either the ones that were working weren’t efficient or our tax code is far too complicated. One of both of those problems need to be fixed.

We have 90K people scrutinizing 160 million tax returns. That means each Agent has to review 1700 returns.

As for the tax code, I'm all for simplifying it. Huge taxes on the rich and no fucking deductions.

Big number that you guys pull out of thin air. Even if so, I prefer to cut federal spending to increase revenue as opposed to taking it from the American people via heavy taxes.

Except there's really nowhere to cut.

Our current 7 Trillion dollar budget includes.

1.5 Trillion for Social Security
1 Trillion in Medicaid
1 Trillion interest on the debt
800 Billion for defense
600 Billion for Medicaid
400 Billion for Veteran's services

So that's 5.3 TRILLION just on things we really don't have much wiggle room on.

Out of the 1.7 Trillion that is left, you have things like roads, research, education. Sure we can slash those, but then don't be surprised when China passes us up.

 

[SweetTea]

The IRS is scrutinizing tip income more closely since it estimates that 84% of all tip income totalling approximately $500 million goes unreported annually.

Neat. I disagree with their estimate. They have a vested in streets to say otherwise. Common sense says otherwise. Aside from riding in taxies or catching Ubers, I so similar things tip as most people in this country that requires/suggest tipping. CC are used in the vast majority of transactions in this country and most have places for tips.

As for the tax code, I'm all for simplifying it. Huge taxes on the rich and no fucking deductions.

Of course. Tax the “rich”. Simplifying means getting rid of the IRS and just adding a VAT tax, for example, with a few exceptions for food and other necessities. You would hate that though because then the “poor” would be paying their fair share too without the child tax credits(welfare for those that pay no federal income taxes) and other giveaways. We can’t have that.

Except there's really nowhere to cut.

Of course there are places to cut. Each of the departments you mentioned have inefficiencies. They could be cut without decreasing any benefits. The government is woefully inefficient because they aren’t forced to be. If they have a shortfall, they just ask for more money, thus increasing their budget for the following quarter/year. (No zero based budgeting) They don’t function like business in the real world, but it is long past time that they are forced to do so.

 

[JoeB131]

Neat. I disagree with their estimate. They have a vested in streets to say otherwise. Common sense says otherwise. Aside from riding in taxies or catching Ubers, I so similar things tip as most people in this country that requires/suggest tipping. CC are used in the vast majority of transactions in this country and most have places for tips.

Actually, tips go unrepoarted, which is why you are allowed to pay waitresses sub-minimum wage, because it is assumed they get tips that go unreported.

Should Tips Be Exempt From Taxes? | Baker Institute

Both presidential candidates have endorsed a policy of no tax on tips. But would this approach really help the low-income workers it’s meant to support? Fellow Joyce Beebe reviews the current tax treatment of tip income, summarizing the main arguments against such a policy, potential impacts...

www.bakerinstitute.org

However, a 2018 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) report points out that compliance was not ideal even for businesses with tip agreements. In 2016, 30% of businesses that had tip agreements with the IRS collectively underreported $1.66 billion in tip income. Noncompliance for businesses without tip agreements was even worse. The agency identified over 15,000 employers that underreported a total of $6.3 billion in tip income (an average of $420,000 per employer), with 676 of them underreporting by over $1 million each. In 2023, the IRS revamped the tip reporting compliance program, hoping to take advantage of the increased use of electronic payment systems at the point-of-sale.

Of course. Tax the “rich”. Simplifying means getting rid of the IRS and just adding a VAT tax, for example, with a few exceptions for food and other necessities. You would hate that though because then the “poor” would be paying their fair share too without the child tax credits(welfare for those that pay no federal income taxes) and other giveaways. We can’t have that.

Most countries that have instituted a VAT have also kept an income tax, because a VAT didn't generate the expected revenues.

Here's the problem with a VAT. People will cut back on their spending. They will be less likely to go out to eat. They will be less likely to buy that new TV set that has a slightly better picture if the old one is still functional.

Not sure why you are so keen to punish the poor. Do your neighbors at the trailer park make you that angry?

Of course there are places to cut. Each of the departments you mentioned have inefficiencies. They could be cut without decreasing any benefits. The government is woefully inefficient because they aren’t forced to be. If they have a shortfall, they just ask for more money, thus increasing their budget for the following quarter/year. (No zero based budgeting) They don’t function like business in the real world, but it is long past time that they are forced to do so.

Guy, you've been singing that song since Ronnie Ray-Gun. No one believes it anymore.

Businesses in the real world kind of suck, guy. They also have the option of outsourcing jobs to Mexico or India. I think there's be an outcry if our government did that.